Election Commission of India

Under Article 324(1) of the Constitution of India, the Election Commission of India, inter alia, is vested with the power of superintendence, direction and control of conducting the elections to the offices of the President and Vice-President of India.

• Detailed provisions are made under the Presidential and Vice Presidential Elections Act, 1952 and the rules made thereunder.
• The same Article 324 also vests in the Commission the powers of superintendence, direction and control of the elections to both Houses of Parliament.
• The State Election Commissions constituted under the Constitution (Seventy-third and Seventy-fourth) Amendments Act, 1992 for each State / Union Territory are vested with the powers of conduct of elections to the Corporations, Municipalities, Zilla Parishads, District Panchayats, Panchayat Samitis, Gram Panchayats and other local bodies. They are independent of the Election Commission of India.
• At present, the Election Commission of India is a three-member body, with one Chief Election Commissioner and two Election Commissioners.
• It was not a multi member body from the beginning. It was a single - member body when it was first set up in 1950 and up to 15^th October, 1989 with only the Chief Election Commissioner.
• From 16^th October, 1989 up to the 1^st January, 1990, it became a three-member body with R.V.S.Peri Sastri (C.E.C) and S.S.Dhanoa and V.S.Seigell as Election Commissioners. From 2nd January, 1990 to 30th September, 1993, it was a single-member Commission and again from 1st October, 1993 it has become a three-member Commission.
• The Chief Election Commissioner and the two Election Commissioners draw salaries and allowances at par with those of the Judges of the Supreme Court of India as provided for by the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Conditions of Service) Rules, 1992.
• The Chief Election Commissioner or an Election Commissioner holds office for a term of six years from the date on which he assumes his office.